Indian vice-president to have series of engagements in Qatar: envoy

Indian vice president, M Venkaiah Naidu, along with a high-level delegation, has started a four day visit of Qatar as part of his three-nation tour that includes Senegal and Gabon.“This is the first time an Indian vice-president is visiting Qatar. He will be in Doha until June 7 and will have a series of engagements during his stay,” Indian ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal said at a press briefing Saturday. “The vice-president is coming with a high-level delegation. He is accompanied by Indian Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar. Three members of the Indian parliament are also accompanying him. In addition, a strong business delegation from India is also part of his team,” the Indian envoy said.According to Dr Mittal, during the visit the vice-president will have several meetings with the Qatari leadership. “He will have audience with His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani at the Amiri Diwan. He will also meet other Qatari officials,” he explained.The Indian vice-president will also be attending a business forum with an Indian business delegation as well as a Qatari business delegation from Qatar Chamber.“We are expecting the Minister of Commerce and Industry, HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad bin Qassim al-Abdulla al-Thani, to participate in the forum. A 30-member business delegation from Qatar is expected to join the forum,” the ambassador said.The vice-president is expected to visit Qatar Foundation and National Museum of Qatar tomorrow. “He will also meet HE the Speaker of the Shura Council as the vice-president is the chairman of the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. He will also be meeting the Indian community tomorrow and will be addressing them. A cross-section of the Indian diaspora in Qatar with representatives from different walks of life will attend the community reception. He will depart from Qatar on June 7,” the ambassador added.The envoy said that India-Qatar relations are historical and a longstanding one with an Indian population of more than 750,000 in Qatar. “We have a strong LNG partnership and very strong trade relations between both the countries. Last year, the bilateral trade increased to over $15bn. During the visit, these topics will be the points of discussion and how to further deepen and strengthen the relations,” he added.